文句
もんく · monku · JLPT N3 · noun
ailment
文 text + 句 phrase: to have words with someone = to complain
文句 first meant the wording of a text. In Japanese it came to mean objections about something, as in 文句を言う (to complain). The sound monku is close to monk, so a grumbling monk is a handy sound-alike.
文 — pictograph of crossed lines on a chest
文 originally depicted a person with patterns or tattoos drawn on the chest, shown as crossed or interwoven lines. From this image of decorative markings, it came to mean 'pattern,' then 'writing,' 'script,' and 'literature' or 'culture.' The modern senses all trace back to the idea of meaningful marks.
句 — 勹 (wrap) + 口 (mouth/enclosure)
Originally a pictograph showing a hook or curve enclosing something, depicting a bend or turn. The form combines 勹 (wrap) around 口, suggesting words bound together. It later came to mean a complete sentence or phrase, the basic unit of bounded speech.